Predicting the Toronto Raptors All-Star weekend participants

Skills Challenge

Marc Gasol

Something of an out-there choice, admittedly, but how fun would it be witnessing Marc Gasol add another notch to his highly impressive, and successful curriculum vitae. Surprisingly, despite all his accolades, Gasol has never featured at an All-Star Weekend, so this might feel a little more sentimental than anything.

Gasol is a supremely skilled player, even as a center. Often regarded as one of the best passing big men of all-time, the Skills Challenge would be the perfect setting to remind everyone that Gasol is more than just a passer.

The Skills Challenge involves two participants racing against each other on identical courses, throwing a pass into an upright hoop, heading back down to the court to perform a lay-up, and finally, hitting a three-pointer from the top of the key. At 34 years old, the race itself might favour Gasol, a 7-foot-1 center, but two of the last four winners have been big men, with Kristaps Porzingis and Karl-Anthony Towns winning the award in consecutive years.

Overall, the competition has begun to feature more big men over the last few years, with 2016 really setting the trend – featuring Anthony Davis vs DeMarcus Cousins in a big vs big match-up. Marc Gasol could feature as the next star center to test his skills against his peers.

Out of all the predictions, this one seems the farthest away from happening, though it would be fun to see Gasol participate – and maybe even win.